Vereva/Minotaurs
General : See also: Minotaurs Minotaurs are believed to have originated on the Great Continent. The majority of them still inhabit the easternmost portions of the continent that make up modern-day Kahrim, a nation that has always been historically Minotaur. Once the recognized religion the world over Majicium still lends much of the cultural staples (and stereotypes) attributed to each race. In the Thaumopaedia, it is written: : "To the Minotaurs roaming the Rolling Plains, She gifted them unbreakable resilience. : The Minotaurs learned determination and perseverance, : Toning their bodies, minds and culture to succeed in all endeavor." : (Thaumopaedia: Chapter 12, Verses 16-18) With an estimated global population of more than 84 million, the Minotaur is the second least populous of the existing sentient races on Vereva. Appearance Once second only to the Giants, the Minotaurs are typically the largest of the sentient races that make up Vereva. They are characterized by their tall, imposing stature and their broad bodies. The average 12-year-old Minotaur boy or girl, standing around 6'1" (185cm) and 5'9" (175cm) respectively, are as broad and tall as the Human man; Minotaur adults are somewhat taller. Minotaurs typically have tanned or dark skin, much darker than the other races. The typical Minotaur has a hairier body than most races, save the Dwarf, which is unknown to most because their age-old culture of shaving their body for cultural tattoing. However, for purposes of culture and modesty, one does not shave below the wasteline and and above their hooved feet, which remains covered in silky, almost fur-like hair. Despite shaving their body hair, most Minotaurs maintain the hair on their heads, which is almost exclusively black in color, though the occassional Minotaur is born with a dark shade of brown. The eyes of the Minotaur are also a single exclusive color: silver. Minotaurs have arguably larger noses than other races that contributes to their far superior olfactory perception. Gender differences A more obvious distinction of gender is made in adult Minotaurs than in the other sentient races. As infants and children, only the sex organ differentiates the gender of a Minotaur, but as one grows, a male will grow two large horns from the sides of his head, diagonal from each eye. These horns remain dull until adulthood, where in Kahrim teenage boys are sent off for horn molting. Females are distinguished by long, bushy-tipped tails that grow from the tip of their spine. Minotaur culture Minotaur culture is entwined with Kahremite culture but has a strong racial culture all its own. Minotaur culture is based highly on physical and political strength. Earning a sense of pride by having strong, broad builds and toned physiques, their styles of fashion and clothing are open and provocative, almost optional. Because of this materialism, a Minotaur's achievements and social status are often written out on their bodies through body art and piercings. Coming of age : Main: Coming of age Each race of Vereva has it's own coming of age ritual. For Minotaurs, coming of age is often more imporant a factor in the lives of males than for females. In the global culture, coming of age happens when the person reaches the physical age of 15. For Minotaur males, this means they are sent off because it its the time of horn molting. For Minotaur females, this is the era where most begin waiting for the right suitor. Horn molting Horn molting is a private festival for teenage boys entering adulthood. It begins at the end of the 16th week of every year and lasts no more than two more weeks, requiring all boys who should enter their fifteenth of life in that year to participate. The molting consists of physical training as well as sports and martial arts competitions that ready the participants for the pain of having their horns molted and their reintroduction into Kahremite society as men. The competitions included in the horn molting processes include tests of minor fishing and hunting skills, competitions of several Kahremite sports including swimming, canoeing, boulder smashing and frisbee, and tests of valor in hand to hand combat in the the version of Kahremite martial arts from the city-state in which the current Alpha was born. The days of uninterrupted competition cause Minotaurs to secrete a smell called the Scent of the Alpha. Not until every male has produced his scent do the boys return to Kartago to be reintroduced on Day of the Molted Horns. Upon arrival in Kartago, the men's horns are shaved and sanded down into sharp points. Horn molting is traditionally a male rite of passage, though female Minotaurs also participate in the modern world. Scent of the Alpha As adrenaline courses through their veins, Minotaur produce a scent called the Scent of the Alpha. The scent naturally wards off unwanted predators such as snakes and bears. The scent is used to choose the leader of the country Kahrim. As teenagers leave off to horn molting, the Alpha and the Betas have a parallel competition to raise their scents. The Minotaur with the best combination of scent and horn shape is rendered the Alpha, political leader of Kahrim. Body art Body art, or tattoing, is a staple of Minotaur culture. Wearing more open clothes than other races allows them to show off their tattoos which tell their life stories. Incidentally, all grand accomplishments, moral or immoral, are written out on their bodies. Traditionally, stories are told in pictographs or tribal markings native to the city-state one inhabits. Modernly, ws may often accompany the pictographs or tribal tattoos written in modern Kahremish but often using ancient Almsaundean runes. Body parts tell specific stories. * The left arm traditionally tells the stories of one's love life and family as it is the arm closest to the heart. * As one's chest and stomach faces the person he or she talks too, it tells the story of their wins and losses in the glories of combat because of the ancient warrous culture of the Minotaurs. Modernly, this is also the side that details one's career life * The right arm was traditionally used for an overflow of lovelife and family, especially for Minotaurs who were promiscuous having many litters, though in the modern day, it shows the education and mindest of the Minotaur. * The back is used for several accounts: A Minotaur's name is written in bold letters from shoulder to shoulder; the family of a Minotaur's parents is listed on one's back; a Mintoaur's life skills are listed on the back * Many criminals also have tattoos on the back of the head detailing their crimes or gangs, called packs by the Minotaurs. These tattoos are placed here for the purpose that hair would grow back over them, being able to hide their crimes and only reveal them by will. Piercings Piercings are the most sacred part of Minotaur culture, detailing the social statuses of the Minotaurs. The most common piercings are in the nose, through the bottom or top lip, in one of the ears, or one of the eyebrows, although other piercing places exist. * Via the nose, a male pierces his septum and a woman her left ala to show that he or she is married * Through the ear, a piercing in the earlobe shows that the wearer is a child of a high-ranking official such as an Alpha or one of the Betas. * Through the left eyebrow, a piercing symbolizes the brain, accounting for a well-studied person, especially one that is university-educated. * Under the bottom lip, the most common piercing called an envijë, shows that the wearer acted as a willing recruit for the Kahremite army. Holidays * Day of the Molted Horns: On this day, following War week, a new Alpha may be picked by the populace via the Scent of the Alpha. Stereotypes The reputation of the Minoaurs is that of being cold-hearted and unyielding warriors. Through war, opposing armies have overwhelmingly been decimated by the factor of intimidation alone. They are stereotyped by treasuring braun over brains. They are also said to be very stubborn, thick-skulled and stuck in their ways with a mediocre brain capacity. This is mostly due to the rarity of encountering a Minotaur in Kahrim who dares to stray out of Kahremish. The stereotypes are only true based on culture, not capacity. See also * Kahremish language * Kahrim Category:Vereva Category:Races of Vereva Category:Kahrim